Water problems exist worldwide, and they are particularly acute
in countries of the Mediterranean Dialogue. Water resources
are not only a social and economic issue, but also a security
issue, and water can even be compared to oil in its importance
to border security. Science has an important role to play in
tackling the many different problems associated with reliable
provision of clean water, and it is a popular area of study
among the scientists of the Mediterranean countries. The subjects
of the following Collaborative Linkage Grants recently supported
under the Environmental and Earth Sciences area are quite varied,
but they all deal with aspects of the water problem. The results
of all collaborative grants are published in relevant scientific
journals, and presented at specialist conferences, so that the
findings are available to all.

The objective of this collaborative project between Algeria
and France is to improve the available knowledge
of the state of pollution in the Algiers district, including
the bay and river waters, and to consider appropriate remedial
techniques. The study will concentrate on hydrocarbons and
phenols, which are an important cause of pollution in the
Algiers area, being generated by the industrial and human
activity there. The taste and odour of water are affected
by very low concentrations of these pollutants. This project
is led by Dr. Ahmed Ait Kaci, Université des Sciences
et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene, Algeria, and Prof.
Marek Rogalski, Université de Metz, France.

Scientists from Egypt and Belgium
are collaborating on the development of a sophisticated water
management tool. Mathematical models are very powerful tools
to support the management of the surface waters in a country,
which are now frequently used for management of both flooding
and water quality problems by national water authorities.
Sources of water and of pollution relevant to the area in
question have to be considered and integrated into any model.
A methodology has been worked out at Louvain University using
Belgian data, to which two Ph.D. students from Egypt contributed
a large part during their studies in Belgium. Now back in
Egypt they are working at two different water research institutes
in Cairo. A NATO grant has allowed collaboration to be set
up between the different institutions to refine and further
develop the methodology, using different data, this time from
the River Nile basin. The project is being led by Dr. Alaa
El-Sadek of the Water Resources Research Institute, Cairo,
Egypt, and Prof. Patrick Willems, Katholieke
Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.

The aim of a research project underway between collaborators
in Morocco and the United States is to obtain
qualitative and quantitative understanding of the role of
"humic substances" on the transport of pesticides
in the environment. Humic substances refers to a complex of
mixes of different organic substances which most likely play
an important role in changes of chemical behaviour of toxic
heavy metals and pesticides. Efforts will focus mainly on
two pesticides which are currently in use in Morocco (imidazolines
and sulfonylureas). Representative samples of soil will be
taken from different locations in Morocco. The results obtained
from this research project will be used to develop strategies
for the long-term groundwater protection measures to sustain
a high water quality. The research teams are led by Prof.
Mohammed El Azzouzi of the University Mohammed V, Rabat, Morocco,
and Prof. Shahamat Khan of George Mason University, Virginia,
USA.

Researchers in Tunisia are involved in
a multinational and multidisciplinary project aimed at evaluating
a new generation of ultraviolet-lamp technologies for use
in different UV water treatment systems, with potential for
improving the quality of drinking water and agricultural irrigation
systems in rural communities. Because of water scarcity all
possible water sources must be mobilised in rural areas, including
rainwater cisterns, groundwater wells, and wastewater recuperation.
These non-conventional systems, however, pose the risk of
disease transmission if they are improperly exploited. Ultraviolet
disinfection of water and wastewater is a possible alternative
to the current generally-used chlorination, which has disadvantages
which include increasing concerns about cancer-causing byproducts.
The research teams involved are led by Dr. K. Charrada, Monastir,
Tunisia, Prof. V. Tarasenko, Tomsk, Russia,
Prof. G. Zissis, Toulouse, France, Prof.
F. Dawson, Toronto, Canada and Dr. W. Cairns,
London, Ontario, Canada.

Israeli scientists are involved in a project on geothermal
wastewater. In small amounts boron is essential for plant
growth, but becomes toxic when its concentration exceeds a
critical value. The Kizildere-Denizli geothermal field in
Turkey is being developed for electricity production and large
amounts of processed water is disposed of, but the boron level
is too high for the water to be used for irrigation of agricultural
zones. Turkish researchers have recently performed laboratory
and field tests for boron removal using ion exchange technology.
This collaborative project aims to provide a viable large-scale
solution to the problem of discharge of geothermal wastewater.
This project is being led by Prof. N. Kabay from Turkey, Prof.
Vladimir Teplayakov from Russia, Prof. M.
Ryjak from Poland, Prof. Victor Starov from
the UK, and Prof. Raphael Semiat from Israel.